DID YOU KNOW?
Largest Animal Ever: Capble of growing to around 100 feet in length and 180 tons in weight, the blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived. It's even bigger than any known dinosaur.
The Hippo's Distant Cousin: The hippopotamus is the whale's closest living land-dwelling relative. They share a common ancestor that lived 54 million years ago. Whales entered the water around 50 million years ago.
Hearing Underwater: Whales don't have outer ears. Instead, they receive sound through their lower jaw. The sound is conducted from the jaw through a fat-filled cavity to the middle and inner ears.
The Longest-Lived: Move over tortoises! The bowhead whale was recently proven to be the longest-lived animal on earth. A male with a 19th century harpoon fragment in its flesh was shown to be 211 years old.
